There are plans within the works to construct a photo voltaic farm in Kirkland.
Atlas Renewables is seeking to construct a photo voltaic farm within the City of Kirkland, not removed from Sherill Brook Park in New Hartford.
Their mission is to construct a comparatively small photo voltaic farm with a mission consisting of Kirkland 1, a 5 megawatt energy plant and Kirkland 2, a 4.6 megawatt plant.
The mission drew opposition from a number of smaller organizations together with Kirkland Trails. A non-for-profit group with the purpose of growing leisure channels. Dr. James Bramley is the president of Kirkland Trails.
“I’m a agency believer in renewable power. I’m an environmentalist, and I believe that that’s the future, but it surely have to be used responsibly, they have to be positioned in the precise locations, and I believe that locations are nonetheless there inside Oneida County, however that is most likely one of many worst locations to place a photo voltaic mission for my part,” he mentioned.
Whereas the group admits they wish to create trails by the property, the largest concern is the setting. Hickory Creek Consulting was commissioned to do the environmental influence research of the proposed mission, which incorporates the clearing of 65 hectares of forest. The research concluded that there are potential flooding points downstream the place flooding points exist already.
“The actual flooding impact wasn’t felt within the metropolis of Kirkland. It was within the Metropolis of New Hartford and Whitestown, which might be one motive why we really feel prefer it by no means received a number of consideration … as a result of it gained ‘no will actually have an effect on the residents of the Metropolis of Kirkland as a lot as the encompassing cities.”
Since this can be a small photo voltaic farm, the Metropolis of Kirkland has the authority to approve the method, however they might have hassle getting round a few of their very own guidelines. That is as a result of the Metropolis of Kirkland has a photo voltaic ordinance, and written into their very own native legislation is to think about these particular objectives.
“Logging. Removing of current bushes bigger than 6 inches in diameter ought to be minimized as a lot as potential. Properly that is an previous progress forest, a mature forest with plenty of bushes that’s above 6 inches, they usually shall be reduce down each tree there.”
There’s a planning board assembly scheduled for January 23. As soon as the planning board finalizes a proposal there have to be a public listening to. This can be the one alternative to listen to native voices on this matter, which isn’t the case with many opposing photo voltaic initiatives.
